Broken
by LusterFlare
Summary: 15 years have passed since the capitol fell, and Panem is now a shining nation. The citizens live in peace and luxury, the Victor's nightmares have faded, and even Gale has settled down. Even though times are good, Katniss knows, darkness always creeps back.
1. Chapter 1

**I had to make up names for Katniss' kids, sor sorry if her son's name doesn't fit too well. Review please!**

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Katniss and I had survived, everything was as it should be. The nightmares still flared up, I mean, they always would, but we were alive and safe. Fifteen years since the capitol had crashed, thirteen years since Zachory and Prim came into our lives, honoring the inspiration for change. Gale had settled down about three years ago, had a daughter of his own. The new government had begun to expand and grow back out into the wilderness. The districts had been renovated and now shining cities dotted the landscape. Life was as close as possible to perfect.

Then, as if it had never happened, the nightmares became more than real…

Things got worse.

_**Gale**_

Bullets swept the air, smoke poured from the shining, ivory buildings and poured into the streets. I couldn't think, I couldn't feel; all I could do was let instinct kick in and protect those I loved. The ones that had made me whole. The ones I had made whole. My wife and child needed me.

The black shaft ripped past my hair, sending the dark locks flying further out of array. There was, after all, one person who didn't need me, although that fact didn't necessarily hurt anymore. The explosive tip detonated around three hundred meters in front of us, dropping the stolen hovercraft to the ground.

"Gale, you're in intelligence!" katniss yelled into the radio, "Where the hell are these people coming from?"

Honestly, security hadn't picked up any activity for years, we'd gotten lazy. Still, Bettie's technology was flawless, we would have known if there had been an invasion. "Radar didn't even pick up the bombers until after the explosions, Katniss. We don't know what's going on either."

"Uncle!"

I whipped around to face the voice, as a tall, toned body came barreling out of the school doors. Her hair was wavy and blond like her father's, but the elegant grace and pride, topped with a lithe, killer instinct… Everyone knew whose daughter this was.

"Prim!"

Katniss ran up the steps in a flash, embracing the girl before she could respond. Tears ran down her face and cleared the soot from her skin in small streaks. Even without the smoke I would'v cried. I couldn't bare to see Prim hurt, but Katniss would've broken all over again.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mom we have to go!" Prim yelled, "Zach, they took him!"

Katniss stopped, frozen. Time stood still and the bullets kept passing by us. Nothing was real now, and the world had ceased to exist. Zach was young, too young to know what was going on. Prim understood her mother's stories but Zachory was only nine. He'd be terrified.

Dirt covered my face, stinging my eyes as the wall I was taking cover behind exploded. Rubble rained down as I covered my head and ran to Katniss, who stood frozen beside her daughter. Static rang in my ear and I barely registered an old friend's rushed words.

"Katniss!" I yelled in her ear, "Peeta's picking us up at fourth and Odare. Personal transport just left the Grade school!"

Katniss just stood there, her eyes blank, probably reliving that fiery explosion from so long ago. She couldn't stay like this; we had to move now, before it was too late. I didn't care what she was seeing behind her eyes, she had to come back to the present.

I reached my hand back and swung, striking her in the arm, nearly knocking her over the stares. In less than a second she had flipped me over her shoulder and pinned me to the door, pressing on my throat.

"Where is she!?" she shrieked, cutting off my breath.

"Zach is being taken away right now!" I wheezed, we have to go to Peeta.

She stood for a second before more bullets flew by us. Instantly she drew another arrow, tipped with explosives and acid, sending it into the heart of a black suited soldier four blocks away, and melting his companions.

"Get down the stares!" She said, knocking another arrow, "Now, goddamit!"

Together we ran, leaving bloody soldiers and ruined buildings in our wake. The smoke and heat grew stronger as we ran to the heart of the city. Soot stained our clothes and blood ran in the streets, wounded citizens screaming or mourning or both. Katniss and I had seen this kind of thing before, the capitol had been a disaster zone, and the worst areas still stood as reminder. The horror here was worst.

District twelve was the new capitol of Panem; of course it would be hit hardest. The worst part was not knowing who was doing all this. Where had they come from? What did they want? Why were they after Katniss and her family?

Finally we reached the heart of the city, windows blown out and soldiers lying behind their destroyed cover. Families, or what was left of them, huddled in groups and glanced up as their president ran by in a suit of armor they all remembered. It was a suit of armor no one ever wanted to see again. Katniss had become a symbol of hope and grief long ago. Now after so long she would here her name again.

The presidential cruiser stood shining at the end of the street. Over the loud speaker the pilot shouted to his captain. Even at this range it would be impossible not to hear his nervous sentence. Besides, we all knew what he was going to say before he did.

"Captain Mellark," the young officer yelled over the speaker, "The Mockingjay has arrived!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Katniss," Peeta yelled as he opened the metal ramp at the back of the massive cruiser. "They took Zachory; Sat Cams have the transport outside Paradise Thirteen."

"Why would they take back to district thirteen?" she asked climbing up the ramp, "all that's left is the bunker and…"

I dropped my rifle on the steel floor by the ramp, looking directly into the blond man's eyes. I already knew the answer, but his eyes only made the knowledge worse. "Research one" I said calmly, "Katniss the bunker was refitted as a test lab for live experiments on the remaining victors. You remember the trackers they gave to you in The Games?"

"Yeah, What about 'em?"

"Those trackers were what allowed the game makers to create the mutts of fallen tributes; they preserved the body enough that electrical shock would revitalize the body, but with no memory of the self."

I stood against the edge of the ramp as the cruiser lifted off, staring back at the ruined city. The damage was worse than I could tell on the ground. Fires burned in almost every building and large explosions had ruined entire city blocks. Sirens rang in every building and in the distance gunfire and explosions still rang out. The bridges and tunnels leading out of the city had all been destroyed, blocking all escape routes. The city was beautiful yesterday; today the sky was black and red with the gleam of fire and smoke, and even here the air tasted of blood and burning flesh. It was an out and out massacre.

"Research one consisted of top priority revitalization of key subjects. Four names in particular made up a successful reviving of the human body and mind."

"Who were they, Gale?" Katniss whispered, staring sternly into my eyes…

I didn't answer. Honestly this was one question I couldn't find an easy answer for.

"Damn it, Gale, who were they!?"

An easy answer wasn't going to work. "For the sake of the continuity of the country, three months ago, four deceased were labeled as successfully recovered. Finnick Odare, Rue Gibson, Primrose Everdeen, and President Jonathon David Snow…"

Silence… That was the first thing that registered in my mind; then blood and pain in my temple. When I came to, Katniss was kneeling over me with her hand on my throat "You brought him back!?" she screamed, "You brought him Back!? Why the FUCK did you bring him Back!? He brought him back!? What the FUCK is wrong with you GALE!? Why in HELL would you bring that monster back into this world!?"

"He-, He was-" I choked, her fist cutting off my breath completely, "Please- ngh- let me up."

She stood and backed to the far wall, staring wildly at me, perhaps not seeing me at all, but an, old white haired man who smelled of blood and roses. I doubled over and coughed as I stood, spitting blood and teeth onto the floor, my eye was swollen and my neck felt like it was on fire. When I stood the world spun and darkened, so I just dropped to my knees again, holding my throat with one hand and leaning on the other.

"President snow- *cough* - was deemed high priority detainment, and put in cryogenic sleep. The other three have been in rehabilitation at sight four fourteen in district eleven." I stopped and coughed again, spitting blood and spit blackened with smoke. "Intelligence suggests that President Snow is still showing strong vital signs, meaning he is still in cryo."

"Why do they need my son, Gale?" Katniss asked, calm, on the outside at least.

"Our guess would be that Zachory would be held for ransom at research one. These terrorist will most likely bargain for the release of President Snow."


End file.
